One traditional approach to dispensing and applying shaving cream or gel from a pressurized container is to dispense the cream or gel directly onto an area to be shaved and then to spread it by hand it so as to cover the entire area to be shaved. The shaving cream or gel often includes ingredients that soften the hair and condition the skin in the area to which the cream or gel is applied so as to provide a smoother shave. Once spread on the area to be shaved, the cream or gel marks this area as the area to be shaved. The user of the shaver can then clearly see which part of the area has been shaved and which part remains to be shaved.
The problem with this traditional approach is that the user has to remember to carry with him a can of pressurized shaving cream or gel, in addition to his shaver. Another problem with this approach is that the user has to put his hand into the cream or gel in order to spread it.
A number of prior art patents have attempted to address the first of the two problems inherent in the traditional approach by providing a shaving cream in a container that is an integral part of a shaving device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,224 (Lipka) discloses a razor provided with a shaving cream dispenser which is located in an elongated handle. The handle includes a chamber for shaving cream, which communicates with the narrow slots 29 on narrow curved sides 20 of the razor head. A valve mechanisms is provided to move the shaving cream from the chamber onto the curved edge 20. The shaving cream is emitted from the edge 20 immediately in front of the razor blade so that no further spreading of the shaving cream is effected. See e.g. column 2, lines 63-68. The problem with the approach disclosed in the Lipka patent is that the cream is dispensed immediately before the area is shaved. Since the cream stays on the skin for only a moment, there is no time for it to soften the hair or to condition the skin in the area to be shaved. There is simply no time to soften and condition the area to be shaved prior to action of the razor blade. In addition, since the cream is applied only to an area immediately in front of the razor, the area to be shaved is not marked. As the result, it is easy to miss spots and difficult to make sure that the entire area that needed to be shaved was in fact shaved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,188 (Kwak) discloses a shaver containing a shaving cream dispenser in a chamber in its handle. A slidable member on the handle is moved to push the shaving cream out onto the head of the shaver. As in the Lipka patent, the shaving cream is dispensed shortly before the action of the razor blade. Accordingly, the device disclosed in the Kwak patent suffers from the same disadvantages as those inherent in the Lipka patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,432 (Schauble) discloses a disposable razor and emollient dispensing device. The emollient is held in the handle of the device and its flow is controlled by a control mechanism. When the control mechanism is activated, the emollient flows onto the razor head (236 in FIG. 7) and is applied onto the surface to be shaved immediately before the razor shaves that area. Thus, the Schauble approach is also similar to the approach of the Lipka patent and suffers from the same disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,512 (Noujain) discloses a razor with an internal reservoir containing a metal lubricant. The metal lubricant is dispensed directly onto the razor blade and coats the blade with the lubricant. The disclosure of the Noujain patent to apply a lubricant directly onto the blade rather than spreading it on the surface to be shaved is similar to the approach of the Lipka patent and suffers from the same disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,119 (Sellera) discloses a shaving device which includes a holder for a razor blade. The holder includes a receptacle in a handle for holding and releasing pressurized shaving cream. The released shaving cream is dispensed onto the shaving head immediately in front of the razor blade. Accordingly, the Sellera approach suffers from the disadvantages of the Lipka patent as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,478 (Cohen et al.) discloses an automatic shaving device which includes a handle. The handle houses a pressurized foam dispenser and an electric valve controller the for releasing shaving foam from the foam dispenser onto the head assembly. The release of the shaving foam can be effected by placement of the shaving head against the surface being shaved. The foam is dispensed through a dispensing slot 25 in front of the razor blade assembly 17. The head also includes a plurality of lotion dispensing apertures 26 for releasing lotion from the lotion conduit 24. Accordingly, the approach disclosed in the Cohen et al. patent suffers from the same disadvantages as the Lipka patent.
There is, therefore, a long-felt unfulfilled need for a method and a shaver capable of efficient spreading and/or dispensing shaving cream or gel on the area to be shaved, which do not suffer from the disadvantages inherent in the prior art.